More Little Free Libraries to open this week

Officials hope these boxes of books build awareness of literacy and an increase of reading

By Karis Johnson Midland Reporter-Telegram

Updated
11:29 pm CDT, Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Little Free Libraries can be found around Midland, small boxes to hold books, with the purpose of give a book, take a book. 7/05/17 Tim Fischer/Reporter-Telegram

Little Free Libraries can be found around Midland, small boxes to hold books, with the purpose of give a book, take a book. 7/05/17 Tim Fischer/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram

Photo: Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram

Image
1of/4

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 4

Little Free Libraries can be found around Midland, small boxes to hold books, with the purpose of give a book, take a book. 7/05/17 Tim Fischer/Reporter-Telegram

Little Free Libraries can be found around Midland, small boxes to hold books, with the purpose of give a book, take a book. 7/05/17 Tim Fischer/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram

More Little Free Libraries to open this week

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

With the goal of boosting early childhood literacy in Midland, as well as providing free spaces for community engagement through reading, UTPB’s First 5 Permian Basin and Midland Need to Read have partnered to open three new Little Free Library locations this week in Midland.

Founded in 2009, Little Free Library is a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing free books for communities, as well as sparking a love for reading in children who may not have access to books. A Little Free Library is a wooden box of books provided by the community where anyone can take or leave a book at any time.

“Little Free Libraries are public entities for all to enjoy. By utilizing the library, individuals are connecting themselves directly to the community,” said Jessica Smith, the resource development director at Midland Need to Read.

Midland Need to Read partnered with UTPB’s First 5 Permian Basin to use funding provided by a grant from United Way of Midland to bring these new Little Free Library locations to the community. Smith said there are three of these little libraries in Ector County that were also established by UTPB’s First 5 Permian Basin and that the Little Free Library partner began to work with Midland Need to Read in Fall 2016 to bring them to Midland County.

First 5 Permian Basin Assistant Director Sheri Baeza said the new locations of the Little Free Library were decided based on willingness of the community partners and availability to the residents of Midland.

“There is currently energy behind and focus on early childhood literacy in Midland with the Educate Midland Project, so it made sense to locate libraries where families with young children could access them,” Baeza said.

The free books that will go into these new Little Free Libraries were provided by several donors including Midland Friends of Libraries and Literacy, United Way of Midland and several individual donors.

“The ability to read is one of the foundational skills of being and becoming a functional and successful adult in society,” Smith said. “All three libraries will house children’s and adult books. By providing books for all ages, we hope to assist in closing the academic achievement gap and encourage families to read together.”

The first grand opening will be held at 10 a.m. today at the Midland WIC Clinic. The second opening is set for 10:30 a.m. on Friday at the Museum of the Southwest. Both will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as refreshments, story time by the Midland County Library, an art activity and giveaways for families.

The third Little Free Library opening will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at the Kamiposi Art Gallery. The event will include refreshments and giveaways to go with their program, “First Friday: John and Mike Richardson.”

“A goal of this project is to inspire others in Midland to establish their own Little Free Libraries, and in turn build awareness of literacy and an increase of reading,” Smith said. “This program innately inspires generosity and compassion – generosity in supplying one’s books for the benefit of another, and, compassion in supporting the reading activities of those around you.”